Egypt's old rent leases now have an end date. Under Law 164 of 2025, a home rented under the old rent laws stays with the tenant until 5 August 2032, and a shop or office rented to a person until 5 August 2030. Until then the rent rises to a multiple of the old rent, set by area, and goes up 15% a year from September 2026. If you own, rent or are buying a unit with an old rent tenant, these dates decide when it comes back to the owner.
The facts below were checked on 21 October 2026. Laws like this depend on the details of each lease, so confirm your own case with a lawyer.
When the law started
Law 164 of 2025 was published in the Official Gazette, issue 31 bis, on 4 August 2025 and took effect the next day, 5 August 2025 (Parlmany). It covers homes, and shops and offices rented to people. Shops and offices rented to companies fall outside it.
When old leases end
- Homes: seven years after the law took effect, on 5 August 2032.
- Shops, offices and other non-residential places rented to people: five years, on 5 August 2030.
Owner and tenant can agree to end the lease earlier. The old rent laws themselves are repealed from the day after the seven years run out (Parlmany). When a lease ends and the tenant does not leave, the owner can ask the court for an eviction order, according to the law firm Eldib.
How much the rent goes up
Committees in each governorate sort areas into three classes. The new rent for a home is:
| Area class | New rent | Minimum a month |
|---|---|---|
| Prime | 20 times the old rent | EGP 1,000 |
| Middle | 10 times the old rent | EGP 400 |
| Economic | 10 times the old rent | EGP 250 |
Shops and offices rented to people pay five times the old rent. Until an area is classified, tenants pay EGP 250 a month. From September 2026 the new rent rises 15% every year (Parlmany, Egypt Independent).
When a tenant can be evicted early
On top of the grounds in the 1981 rent law, Article 7 adds two (Parlmany):
- The tenant left the place closed for more than a year without a good reason.
- The tenant owns another unit that can be used for the same purpose.
Applying for a replacement home
Article 8 gives old rent tenants the right to ask the state for a home or shop, to rent or to buy, before their lease ends. The request must include a promise to hand back the old unit (Parlmany).
Few have applied. By July 2026 only 86,000 families had, under 6% of the 1.6 million homes rented under the old law, Ahram Online reported. It said many tenants cannot afford the down payments and installments, do not want to move to new cities far from their families, and fear that applying could count as giving up their lease.
The deadline was 21 July. Housing Minister Randa El-Menshawy then extended it by three months to 12 October 2026, with about 102,000 applications in by early August. Applications go through the Egypt Digital Platform or about 500 post offices (Egyptian Real Estate Platform, 5 August). We found no news of a further extension. Check with the housing ministry.
What this means if you're buying or renting
- Ask whether the unit has an old rent tenant. If it does, the tenant can stay until 5 August 2032 for a home, or 5 August 2030 for a shop or office, unless the lease ends earlier by agreement or on one of the grounds above.
- If you buy a unit with an old rent tenant, the rent you collect follows the area class and the 15% yearly rise. Ask the seller which class the area is in.
- If you rent today under a normal contract, this law is about leases under the old rent laws of 1977 and 1981 (Eldib). Check which law your contract falls under.
- If you are an old rent tenant thinking of buying, the end date tells you how long you have to plan. Compare what you can afford against the projects you would consider.
Every lease is different. Have a lawyer read the contract before you buy a unit with a tenant in it.
Ask Wiser about your case
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